Trash-picker device



April 8 1924.

E.E.ROMBAUER TRASH PICKER DEVIC Filed Aug. 19. 1922 provenient Patented Apr. 8, i924.

STATES massi ERNST E. ROMBAVER, 0F ST. LOUS, MISSOURI.

TRASH-molina DEVICE.

Application filed August 19, 1922. SerialrNo. 582,952.

of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri,

have invented a certain new and useful Imin Trash-Picker Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to trash pickers for picking up waste paper, leaves and other scraps. The invention has for its principal objects to eliminate the necessity for stooping over to pick up such scraps and to provide for picking up scraps of different sizes with one picking device.

The invention consists principally in making the needles or prongs of the device of resilient metal and mounting them so that they cross each other and providing means whereby the spread of the ends may be adjusted. The invention further consists in the trash picker hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings which form part of this specification and wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts Wherever they occur,

Fig. l is an elevation of a trash picker embodying my invention, the needle retaining member being shown partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a part elevation similar to Fig. 1, showing the needles in a different position and showing the end of the handle in section; and

Fig. 3 is an end view thereof.

To the end of a handle 1 is secured a mounting head or needle retaining member, as by a projection on said member that fits into a suitable recess in the end of the handle. The mounting head is conveniently made of spherical shape. Said head is provided with a plurality of passageways therethrough in each of which is mounted a pointed impaling needle or prong that is made of spring metal. The needles are provided with heads that are of larger size than the holes through the head. The handle is provided with a flange at the end against which the heads of the needles abut.

The needles are bent so that they cross each other; and a ferrule or ring is mounted on the needles to hold them in crossed position. The needles tend to spread apart so that they will not cross each other. The spread of the ends may be adjusted by moving the ferrule along the needles. Thus, the ends of the needles maybe spaced comparatively far apart, as shown in Fig. 1,v

or they may be close together, as shown in Fig. 2. Preferably the holes in which the needles are mounted are larger than the needles. This permits them to have considerable movement and avoids the strain on the needles at one particular point that would exist if they were firmly held in the retaining member. The resilience of the needles causes them to hold the scraps that they pick up securely.

The trash picker herein described has numerous advantages. It is adaptable to pick up scraps of various sizes, simply by adjusting the spread of the ends of the needles. The device is light and easy to handle and the needles are of a spring material that firmly holds scraps. The device may be used to pick up small rocks or scraps of metal and the like, as the needles are of spring metal; so that if they are spread around a hard 0bject, they tend to spring together and clamp it between them. Obviously, numerous changes may be made without departing from the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown.

What I claim is l. A trash picker comprising a plurality of elongated resilient impaling members mounted with their ends diverging, means for mounting said members and a handle for manipulating said picker.

2. A trash picker comprisingr a head and a plurality of impaling needles therein, said needles crossing each other.

3. A trash picker comprising a head provided with a plurality of holes and needles of spring metal mounted in said holes, said needles being bent to cross each other, and means for holding them in the desired position.

il. A'trash picker comprising an elongated handle, a mounting head at one end thereof, a plurality of impaling needles mounting on said member at separated points, and means for tying said needles compactly together at a distance from said mounting member.

5. A trash picker comprising an elongated handle, a mounting head at one end thereof, a plurality of impaling needles mounted on said member at separated points, and adjustable means for tying said needles compactly together at a distance from said mounting member, whereby the spread of the points of said needles may be varied.

6. A picking device comprising a handle having a Hange at the end, a head secured to the end of saidhandle, said having a plurality 'ofholes therethoufgh; impal-ing needles of spring metal mounted in said holes, said needles abutting against said flange and being bent t'cr's's eachother* and means securing said needles together atthe point of crossing. 7. A picking device comprising a handle, having a flange at the end, a head secured to the end of sad-handleQsad headxhaving a plurality ofvholes therethrough, inpal'ing needles of spring metal mounted in said .hol'esjv said (needles abutting "against said flange and being bent to cross each other and of crossing may be changed and the spread yof thee'nds of the needles adjusted.

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 17th day of August, 1922.

ERNST E. ROMBAUER. 

